Taliban fighters have attacked the airport in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.

Sameem Khpalwak, a spokesman for the local governor, told RFE/RL that three armed attackers wearing suicide vests are believed to have taken up position inside a school compund where airport staff live and were firing on security forces.

There were no reports of casualties

Afghan forces were returning fire.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said a number of fighters had entered the airport grounds and were fighting security forces.

Afghan forces formally took over security in the country on January 1 but have struggled to counter a rising wave of Taliban and other Islamist attacks.